


Unchained - 10th Doctor

by Es_Aitch



Series: Adventures of Brielle [2]
Category: Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Nudity, Post Episode: s04e16 Waters of Mars, Suicide Attempt, Violence, adult concepts, complicated subject matter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-03
Updated: 2015-07-14
Packaged: 2017-12-10 07:27:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,973
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/783398
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Es_Aitch/pseuds/Es_Aitch
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Doctor encounters Brielle again... fifteen years later for her (though only months for him).</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

The Doctor had seen Ood Sigma in the snow and decided to do what he did best:  he ran.  He did not really care where or when he went as long as it was not to his death.  He knew that is what Ood Sigma’s appearance hinted at.  And he feared more than anything that this death would be final:  no regeneration.  He blocked the disapproval of the TARDIS out of his head.  He just could not deal with that on top of knowing he should not have messed with Time Lines and leaving a human, one of his human idols, to clean up his mess.  He did not pull out the mallet, but he was not gentle with the console either, as he pushed buttons and pulled levers.  Suddenly, the TARDIS materialized.  He did not want to stop.  He wanted to keep running.  The Doctor did everything he could to get her going again, but she simply refused to budge.  Finally, in aggravation, he kicked the console and hurt his foot, “Ow!”. 

He slumped back into the jump seat, cradling his foot.  When the throbbing ceased, he stood and spoke crossly to the central column, “What are you doing?  Why have you stopped?” 

The TARDIS remained quiet.  The Doctor sighed, walked over to the coral strut, grabbed his coat and walked to the doors, yanking them open.

The Doctor was a bit shocked at the sight that greeted him.  He was just outside of what was obviously a 21st century prison.  The only part of the name he could see was “Woman’s Facility.”  He turned back to the TARDIS trying to figure out what her game was.  When he turned back around, he saw a guard escorting a young woman out of the prison.  She was a young woman that he recognized, even though she had grown and aged.  His breath hitched on her name, “Brielle.” 

The guard handed her a small bag and then returned to the inside of the prison.  Brielle turned around, even from this distance; she looked like she wanted to return with the guard.  The Doctor sighed, “Oh, Brielle, what has happened to you?” 

He strained onto his tiptoes to see if anyone was waiting for her or had come to pick her up.  She looked lost.  The Doctor looked at the TARDIS, “No.  No companions.  Never again!  We agreed!” 

He sighed as returned his gaze to Brielle.  She sank to the ground where she was and wrapped her arms around her.  He shoved his hands in his pockets and started to slowly walk toward her.  The TARDIS had materialized on the side of the building.  He had to walk around the fenced yard to get to where Brielle was sitting. 

The Doctor’s hearts broke as he saw the look in her face.  He recognized the look.  It was one of defeat and agony.  It was a look of unending sadness.  He had seen it in the mirror on his own features.  Whatever had happened to her had obviously hardened her.  He silently cursed himself.  Had he saved her that day to sentence her to this, whatever “this” was?  He did not expect her to recognize him.  She did not move and gave no acknowledgement to his approach.  For the first time since Messaline, he found himself at a loss for words.  He had to remind himself to speak, “Hello, Brielle.” 

He groaned inwardly.  It felt like such a petty greeting in the face of the haunted look in her eyes.  She stood with the small bag.  She avoided making eye contact with him.  Her voice was so soft when she spoke that he nearly did not hear her, “Are you my ride?” 

He looked from her, to the TARDIS, to the parking lot with no one waiting for her.  He sighed and replied just as quietly, “I suppose I am.” 

She still did not make eye contact.  He gestured with his arm to invite her to walk with him.  She did not move until he did and even then, she walked behind him and not next to him.   They continued in silence. 

The Doctor led Brielle back to the TARDIS, still not knowing if she remembered him or not. He was unsure how she would respond to a Police Box after being released from a prison. He did not have a choice, but he would have preferred it to be easier on her.  He got to the TARDIS doors and pulled the key out to unlock them.  He turned to face her, “I’m the Doctor.  This is the TARDIS and it’s bigger on the inside, all right?” 

She still did not make eye contact, but nodded her head in acknowledgement.  With that he opened the door, “I think you should go first.” 

He could tell the prison had trained her that she should always be after the guards.  There was going to be a lot of work to help get her back on her feet.  She walked in first and he tried to unknot his stomach as he thought that she was doing as he ordered rather than as he suggested.  He followed behind and shut the doors behind him.  He shucked off his coat and tossed it across the strut.  He was watching Brielle’s every move.  He could tell she was completely numb to all around her.  He walked over to the console and pressed the preset that sent them into the Vortex.  

The Doctor silently thanked the TARDIS for such a smooth transition.  He did not know what had happened to Brielle, but he knew that she was in shock at the very least.  He looked her up and down.  She was very thin.  He would want to run a full set of tests in the medical bay, but not yet.  He cleared his throat, “I don’t know if you remember me, but I’m the Doctor.  We met when you fell through some ice trying to rescue your trumpet.” 

He watched her features.  When she gave no indication of recognition, he continued, “Are you hungry?” 

She shrugged her shoulders. 

“ _Well_ ,” he thought to himself, “ _At least that’s a reply_.” 

He led her to the kitchen.  He pulled out some bread and instant soup and started the kettle for some tea.  She stood there, clutching her little bag and not sitting down.  He sighed when he realized just how well trained the guards had her, “You can sit, if you want.  You don’t have to wait for my permission.” 

Again, she nodded a bit mechanically and sat.  She placed her bag on the table next to her.  He set a small plate with the bread on it in front of her.  She looked like she was about to wait for permission again, but then her hunger over-took her and she grabbed the bread and started eating it quickly.

The Doctor smiled at first, since she did something without invitation, but he was worried about her getting sick.  He slowly knelt next to her so as not to startle her.  Then he rested a hand gently on top of her hand, “Go slower, I don’t want you to get sick.” 

Even though he had been extremely gentle, calm and soft-spoken, there was a look of horror and panic in Brielle’s eyes.  He cursed himself internally and then stood to finish the tea.  The soup was ready, so he brought it over to her, “Be careful it’s hot.  And you don’t have to stop eating altogether, just go a bit slower, yeah?” 

She again nodded absently.  It was tearing him up to see her this way.  Whe he left her, he had seen a confidence that prison had obviously striped from her.  When the tea was ready, he brought over the two mugs and sat across from her.   She was half way through her soup when she turned color.  He could tell she was about to vomit, but wanted to see how she would handle it.  He tried not to grimace as he could tell the first time she swallowed it back.  The second time proved too much and she ran to the sink and vomited in there.  When she was done, she rinsed her mouth out.  Then, it was as if she became aware of her surroundings.  Her eyes were again wide with fear, “I’m sorry!  I didn’t mean to!” 

He watched as she reached into the sink to try to pick up the sick and swallow it.  That was too much.  The Doctor sprang to his feet and was next to her in two strides, “Brielle, no, stop, you don’t have to do that here.” 

She was crying and he had to force her hands under the water, then he used the nozzle to rinse the rest of the vomit down the drain.  He quickly moistened a flannel and wiped her face down.  He turned back to the sink and Brielle collapsed to a sitting position she was using her arms to cover as much of her body as possible.  He dried his hands and squatted next to her, “Brielle? I’m not going to hurt you.  Come back to the table, I’m sure if you drink a bit of tea it will calm your stomach.” 

She shook her head, “no”. 

He nodded, “Okay, you don’t have to eat anymore.  Would you like to lay down?” 

She nodded her head.  He extended his hand and this time, she took it.  He helped her to stand and she grabbed her little bag as they passed the table.  He led her across the hall to where the TARDIS had a room ready for her.  It was simple, but was probably more than she had in the last… however long she had been in prison.  The Doctor turned the bedclothes down for her.  When he turned back around, he noticed Brielle had taken off all of her clothes.  She then moved to the bed in a wanton manner.  

The Doctor swallowed thickly and covered her over.  Her face fell as she spoke softly, “I thought you wanted to lay down; do I not please you?” 

The Doctor could not stop the well of tears forming in his eyes, “Oh, Brielle… You don’t have to do that to please me.” 

He knew it was dangerous but he rested his hand on her cheek, “Just get some rest.  Knowing you’re safe pleases me.” 

She looked like she was trying to process that, but she finally closed her eyes.  The Doctor sighed with relief; it had worked!  She seemed to succumb to sleep a few minutes later.  He stayed to watch over her for a bit and when he was certain she was sleeping, he exited her room and made for the console room.  The TARDIS was again being very cooperative and had placed Brielle’s room right next to the Control Room, so he would be able to hear her if she needed him.  He now understood partly why the TARDIS had landed when she did.

The Doctor entered the control room and walked over to the monitor.  Normally, he would allow people to tell him their stories in their own time.  This time, he needed to know what he was dealing with so that he knew how best to help her.  He decided to follow her life.  By the time the TARDIS database was complied, all the records about her would have been available for anyone to know anything about her.  He found that she had graduated high school on time.  Not the highest in her class, but not the lowest either.  The same could be said for college.  There was one a police report about domestic violence in her home one summer before her junior year in college.  She had made the made the call, but it was about her mom and dad fighting.  He sighed, remembering his first encounter with her.  It had probably been going on for sometime and she finally felt she was in a position to do something about it and if the consequences were disownment, she would still be able to survive on her own by then.  He continued on, she graduated college and then received an internship in another state.  Due to homesickness, she had returned home about 18 months later. 

That was when the story turned depressing.  She began to work at a shelter for abused or abandoned children.  The Doctor smiled softly at that.  All the abuse she had suffered and all she wanted to do was help others.  That was five years ago, her linear time.  According to a police report, she had sexually assaulted one of the children.  The Doctor’s hearts dropped into his stomach.  He could not imagine her doing that.  He pulled up police reports and trial notes.  He learned that she had been framed every step of the way, one of the notes showed that when the prosecuting attorney was confronted about her tactics of going after an innocent person, he replied, “Well _someone_ needs to pay for the crimes against that child.” The Doctor’s blood boiled upon reading that.  He went back to the main reports.  Brielle was found guilty at trial and sentenced to 50 years in the women’s correctional facility.  Over the course of the investigation and trial, her family and friends had all but abandoned her.  He then turned to the prison reports.  They showed how she had been abused, raped and attacked in the most horrible ways.  He scoffed to himself, inmates have a ‘code of ethics’ all their own and nothing was worse then harming a child sexually.

The Doctor hung his head and allowed himself to cry for the suffering Brielle had endured.  She had just turned 25 when the accusation had been made.  She was barely getting started with her adult life, and her adult life was over because of a lie and a court system that allowed for such horrible tactics.  He forced himself to continue reading.  Her attorney was the only one to not give up on her.  The attorney had worked tirelessly on her behalf for nearly five years.  She was able to prove Brielle’s innocence and had gotten her to be set free.  The day before Brielle was due to be released, the attorney was found dead, presumed of a heart attack.  A later report showed that the child, who was now 18, was going to be arrested for a string of false accusations made starting with three before the one made against Brielle.  That child had drugged Brielle’s attorney and ended up in prison for murder.  The Doctor would have to keep that to himself, since that has not happened for her yet.  Nevertheless, he was glad justice was served in a way.   After that, it was as if Brielle disappeared off the face of the Earth.  There were no death reports, there was just… nothing. 

After several hours of this research, the Doctor finally switched off the monitor and turned to lean back against the console.  He ran his hands over his face and made a sound of frustration.  He knew more about Brielle than he ever wanted to and he knew the road ahead would be a long one for her.  He turned back to the central column, “Yes, she needed someone, but I’m still not taking on a companion.” 

The TARDIS hummed a sad sort of acceptance.  A moment later, a horrified scream tore through the TARDIS.  The Doctor ran to Brielle’s room.  She was still asleep, in the obvious throws of a night terror.  He watched her as her violent moves tangled the bedclothes around her.  That was when he remembered she was naked.  He walked back over to her pile of clothes and straightened them out on the near-by chair.  He picked up her bag and figured it contained all of her earthly possessions now.  He resisted the urge to go through it and set it on top of her clothes.   Then he turned to the small cupboard in her room and pulled out a fluffy and comfortable bathrobe.  Then he went to the bureau and pulled a nightshirt out for her.  He placed both on her bed.  She was no longer screaming, but he could tell she was still having a nightmare. 

Finally, when the Doctor could stand it no more, he decided to try to wake her.  The trick was to not shout at her and not touch her.  He knew that well enough from his own nightmares how startling it can be to waken from them.  He kneeled next to the bed and whispered in her ear, “Brielle.” 

Being a touch telepath he was not sure it would work, but it had with Rose, so maybe it would.  He called again, “Brielle.” 

She seemed to calm slightly.  Very softly, the sound of the TARDIS changed within her room.  A wide grin formed across his features as he recognized the ‘sounds of the universe’ being played in her room.  He rested his hand on the wall affectionately, “Oh you, clever, clever girl!  Thank you!” 

As the music got louder, Brielle became less agitated.  The Doctor called to her again, “Brielle.” 

She moaned softly and stretched.  He could tell she was beginning to wake up.  He opted to give her some space; he decided to move her clothes again and pulled the chair closer to her.  Then, he sat down, rested his arms on his knees and just watched her. 


	2. Chapter 2

Brielle slowly came to awareness.  She felt a soft warm bed beneath her.  She heard the most soothing sound in the universe surround her.  She had dreamed often of the sound. She always hoped to capture, ever since the first time she heard it….  She gasped and sat straight up in bed, then looked down at herself and found she was naked.  The presence of the man in the room still had not registered.  She clutched the sheets to herself and asked, “Where am I?” 

The Doctor had watched with concern, but did not speak or reply to her.  He knew she needed to take the lead and he would wait for her.  Finally, her eyes came to rest on the man in her room.  She gasped.  She knew the man… alien.  He had saved her once, oh a lifetime ago.  During the past six years, she had dreamed so often of him appearing to save her and here he was!  Her voice was much softer than when she had spoken the first time, “Doctor?” 

A slow smile spread across his features and he nodded. 

She continued, “After all this time… you finally came for me….  And you still look the same.” 

The Doctor’s smile broadened as he could see that Brielle remembered everything.  It was a bit of a relief really, to realize that yesterday she was just in shock.  He finally nodded, “Still look the same…” He was not about to burden her with the knowledge that he was now running from the prophecy that he had only hinted at before. 

She suddenly became self-conscious as she tried to put the pieces of her memory together.  She gripped the sheet more tightly to herself, “Yesterday.  I… and then… and…” She shook her head, as she tried to clear it.  “This is the TARDIS, right?”  

He only nodded, allowing her to puzzle it out until she asked for help.  She looked down at herself again, then at him and back at herself.  She turned several shades of deep red.  She stuttered out, “I didn’t… I mean you and me… we…”  She did not know how to say it. 

It took the Doctor a minute to catch up, “Oh!  No.  No.   You… well…” he made an awkward gesture at her, “Then I simply covered you over.” 

She swallowed thickly and avoided looking at him.  She wraped the robe he had laid out for her about her body and walked to where he had placed her clothes.   She picked them up, turned her back to him and adjusted the robe to protect his dignity - she did not have any of her own left, and then got dressed.

When Brielle was dressed, she grabbed her little bag and without looking at the Doctor, spoke softly, “Just take me back...” 

He looked startled for a moment, but she was putting the robe back on the bed and straightening the bedclothes, so missed it.  He tried to keep his voice calm, “If that’s what you want….”

She whispered, “It’s what I deserve.” 

With his sense of hearing, he had no trouble understanding what she said.  His hearts broke a little more as that one statement revealed a little more what she now thought of herself.  He wanted to help her.  He took a breath and spoke, “Why do you think that?”  

She turned to face him, but did not raise her head, “You arrived there.  Don’t you know?” 

He sat back in his chair; “The TARDIS brought me there, as she did the first time we met. “  He sighed knowing that was not enough of an answer.  If Brielle deserved anything right now, it was honesty, “I did look up what happened… While you were sleeping.” 

She sank onto the bed, any hint of fight deflated from her, “Then you know what happened.” 

He nodded, “But, I want to know what you’ve done to think you deserve that.”

Brielle was silent for so long, the Doctor thought she had fallen asleep.  Finally, she spoke hardly above a whisper, “You gave me a gift that day… so many years ago.  And I always promised myself that I would treat others like that.  Because you didn’t know how horrible things had been for me, but it didn’t matter.  You saved me.  And I had so many chances to do that for others.  You know, seeing someone struggling to cross the street or someone else begging for money.” 

Tears had started to slide down her cheeks and he had to hold himself in check, lest he interrupt her story.  She took a shuddering breath, “All those chances to help others and I just never did.” 

Her voice became even softer.  Even with his exceptional hearing, he had to struggle to hear her over the hum of the TARDIS.  She sighed, “I wanted to be just like you.  I wanted to do for someone else, what you had done for me.”  She went silent again and he could not respond.  She spoke again, “I deserved that because I failed to keep that promise to myself….  I failed pass on what I got from you.”

The Doctor just stared at her for a moment.  He could tell Brielle that he was no role model, especially after what he had done on Mars.  However, that was not what she needed to hear right now.  He rubbed his hand over his face, he hated that he did not know how to comfort her.  He stood and saw that she flinched as he did so.  That also made his hearts break just a little more.  He extended his hand to her, “Come with me.” 

She stared at his hand for a minute before doing anything.   He twiddled his fingers in quiet invitation.  She did not take it, but offered a simple nod and stood.  The Doctor sighed lightly and started to lead her to the door, “After reading what happened to you, I want to make sure you’re okay…. Physically at least.” 

She waited for him to lead and tried to quell the panic that was rising within her.  For the past six years, visits to the infirmary did not mean healing to her.  She had never really had a sense that touch was supposed to be ‘good,’ but with everything she had experienced recently, all touch had become ‘bad’.

The Doctor led Brielle to the Medbay and gestured for her to sit on the exam table.  She complied, but he could see her hesitancy.  He reached out a hand to comfort her, saw her flinch, and then he understood.  He spoke gently, “Brielle, I don’t have to touch you, if you don’t want me to, okay?” He saw her nod in understanding, so continued, “But I will need you to lie down.” 

She took a breath and complied, but it was as if she was waiting for something bad to happen to her.  He tried to reassure her, “I’m just going to have the TARDIS scan you.  You just need to lay still and let her do the work, she won’t touch you either.” 

Again, she nodded and this time he could tell she relaxed a bit.  He set the scan to run and twenty seconds later it was complete.  He smiled encouragingly at her, “All right, it’s done.  You can sit up now, if you want.  It’ll take a bit for her to process the results.  So, I need to ask you:  Do you want me to tell you everything or would you rather not know?”

The Doctor waited for Brielle’s answer, although the decision he knew would not be an easy one, he was going to have her choose one way or another.  This would be a first step to her healing, she needed to learn to make her own decisions and understand that he would respect them.  She looked thoughtful, “Can I change my mind?  If it gets to be too much or if I don’t want to know now, but want to know later?” 

He smiled warmly at her, “Yes, of course you can.  I want you to know: you’re safe here.  If it’s in my power, I will never make you do anything you don’t want to and if you change your mind about something I’ll honor that.” 

She nodded taking in everything he said, “Then, can we wait?  I’m… I’m not ready to know yet.” 

He nodded; he heard the unspoken request that he was not supposed to look either, “As long as the TARDIS agrees that you’re not in any immediate danger, we can wait,” he replied. 

He had a feeling that she knew more about her physical condition than she was letting on.  The TARDIS, sensing the gravity of the situation displayed the information in English: “SHE IS IN NO IMMIEDATE DANGER.”

The Doctor smiled softly and sent a mental word of thanks to the TARDIS, “Well that answers it then.  What would you like to do now?” 

Brielle was quiet in thought for a moment, “I think I’m hungry, may I have something to eat?” 

His smile broadened, “Of course you can!  And you don’t have to ask.  You’re a welcomed guest here and you can treat this as if it’s your house.” 

She was not sure what to do with that information.  It had been so long since she had been welcomed anywhere, finally she spoke, “And can we eat in the kitchen again?  I think I liked it there.” 

He smiled again while he nodded.  He did not extend his hand this time and that saddened Brielle.  She sat there for a few moments.  For as much as the Doctor hated waiting, this was one time he was willing to be patient.  He saw her reach out her hand hesitantly.  Each time was a little farther than the last.  Finally, he held his hand out to her and she slowly raised her hand to take his.  He smiled warmly as he felt her hand in his for the first time since they had been reunited. 

The Doctor did not pull Brielle but he did not make her walk instep with him either.  He tried to make sure that he was not holding her hand too tightly, or invading her space.  She was in a delicate place and the fact that she had reached out for his hand was a big enough step for one day.  They walked to the kitchen in companionable silence.  When they got there, he gestured that she should sit while he walked over to the refrigerator.  He clapped his hands together excitedly, “So what will it be?” 

She shrugged she was looking down and away from him, “Whatever you have ready will be fine.” 

He approached her slowly, “Brielle, you can have whatever you want.  All you have to do is ask.” 

That concept was too much for her to grasp, “Water and toast is fine.” 

He kneeled in front of her, “Look at me, please.” 

She very slowly raised her eyes to meet his.  It was only a moment and then she lowered them again.  But the Doctor’s hearts raced with joy that she had even made the attempt.  He whispered, “That’s what you’re _used_ to… What do you _want_?” 

A small self-conscious smile crossed her features and she whispered, “Fresh fruit.  I haven’t had fresh fruit in so very long…”

The Doctor beamed at Brielle, “A woman after my own hearts.  No pears, I’m afraid.  I hate pears, but I have bananas and apples and grapes.  Might even have a pineapple lying about.  Oh!  And coffee or tea?” 

She smiled sheepishly, “You don’t have to go through all that work.” 

He did not look at her, “It’s not trouble.  I have to eat too, you know.” 

She replied, “Tea, please.” 

He nodded his head and started the hot water and then set to work digging out all the fresh fruit he could find and mixed them together into a simple fruit salad.  He made a bowl for himself as well.  The back of his mind was telling him that this might be too much for her stomach, so he sprinkled some nectar from the Codaury plant of the planet Cof.  It would be enough to tame her stomach should this prove too much.  He brought the bowls over and set one in front of her.  He then finished making up the tea and returned a moment later with the two mugs.  He smiled and sat down in the chair beside her.  

The Doctor gestured to Brielle’s bowl, “You don’t have to wait for me, you know.” 

She shrugged, “Force of habit.” 

However, she did not explain what that habit was or why she had it.  This left the Doctor’s wild imagination to come up with reasons.  The problem was, his imagination had a bit of real-life experience to base itself on.  He did not know if it would help her at all if he talked about it.  But since he was not about to take on a companion, he was not sure it mattered if he did tell her.  He watched her as she eagerly ate her fruit, while he picked at his own.  Finally, he took a breath, his decision made, “I have a pretty good idea what you’re going through.” 

She stopped in mid-chew and met his eyes.  She gave him a stern, “you - couldn’t - possibly” glare.  He had expected that.  It was not like this was a part of his life he talked about with others.  He did not even mention the effects with others very often.  He nodded his head, “I do.  Oh, not the same situation, at all.  But the feelings that go with it?  Pretty much the same.”

Brielle’s features softened.  During the two months before she was arrested and the next seven waiting for trial, she had longed to have someone say these exact words to her.  Then, the trial had gone horribly and she found herself in the Women’s Facility.  Her curiosity got the better of her, “Please.  Go on, I’ll listen to what you have to say.” 

The Doctor knew she was sincere because he watched as the malice and anger drained from her features.  He nodded, “I was what you would call a Prisoner of War.” 

Her brow furrowed as she tried to understand, “But you’re alien and from the future… I thought wars and fighting were a human thing.” 

A small, sad smile crossed his lips, “Oh, I would love that to be true.” He paused then gestured, “Keep eating, if you’re hungry.  I know you’ll be listening.” 

She nodded and continued.  Somehow he figured this would be easier to tell if she were distracted by something and did not have her full focus on him.  He had never talked about this with any of his companions.  Not even Donna… His breath hitched as he thought of her.  Out of all of them, she would have been the one he would have told, if she had asked. 

The Doctor sighed heavily and was about to begin his tale when Brielle interrupted him, “You don’t have to, you know…  I mean tell me anything, just to make me feel better.” 

There was a pregnant pause as he considered how to answer her, “What if… sharing this with you would make _me_ feel better?” 

He watched as her face flushed with a hint of self-consciousness.  After a moment, she nodded to encourage him to continue.  He took a deep breath, “There was a war: The Last Great Time War.  It was between my people, The Time Lords and the Daleks.  The Daleks are a mutated race whose only purpose is to kill anyone and anything not like them.  Anyway, they have been long time enemies of the Time Lords.  This last Time War – everything hung in the balance.  The whole of creation was at stake of vanishing, at best…  At worse, the Daleks would slaughter everyone and everything.  The only thing that stood in their way was the Time Lords.  But, those weren’t the only two species in the battle.  As the war dragged on, other species were pulled into either side and some…. Some were simply innocent by-standers, wanting nothing to do with the War, but still caught in the middle of it.” 

The Doctor got up, refreshed his tea, then Brielle’s and sat down again.  After he sipped some of his tea, he continued, “We had a major stronghold at Arcadia.  We lost it.  It fell.  I was there.  It was….”

He broke off with a shudder and blew air quickly between his lips.  She whispered as she stared into her mug, “Horrendous.” 

He nodded his head and remained quiet for a few moments.  She assumed it was out of respect for whatever had happened there.  He took a breath and continued, “I was captured there….”

She could not help the gasp that escaped her lips. 

The Doctor continued as if she had done nothing, “And the TARDIS.” 

He leaned over to offer a gentle stroke against the nearest wall.  He took a labored breath and met Brielle’s eyes, “Unlike you… I was guilty… Sort of...  It was war and I was a leader of sorts.” 

Brielle said nothing, but tried to disagree with the comparison.  The Doctor simply held up his hand, “I was the enemy and that made me guilty in their eyes….  I killed… and that made me guilty in my own.”

Brielle was shocked at his admission and as she listened, a tear slid down her cheek.  After a few moments of silence, she got up, walked over to the Doctor and embraced him.  She whispered, “No one should have to go through that….”

She did not elaborate what ‘that’ meant.  He returned the unexpected embrace.  She did not have to explain ‘that.’  Having read the information, he was sure she was talking about the self-blame and self-accusations.   After a pause, he spoke, “No one.  Not even you.” 

At that, she tried to pull out of his embrace.  He held her tighter for a moment and whispered, “Not you.” 

She struggled for a moment, but he could not let her go.  He needed her touch as much as he needed to give it.  She started to cry and after a few moments, she let him pull her into his lap.  He held on to her and slowly realized there was a great deal he could learn from her.  He allowed himself to cry as well.

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warning for Suicide Attempt

The next several hours, the Doctor spent taking Brielle on a guided tour of the places within the TARDIS she would use most often.  He informed her that the TARDIS would take care of her basic needs and that she was free to do what she wanted.  She did not say much during the tour and he figured that she was just getting adjusted to having a sense of freedom again.  He saved the library for last, mostly because it had always been his personal favorite.  He could not help the grin as he watched her look about it.  It was as if she smiled for the first time.  She turned to face him.  Her eyes were shining with unshed tears, “It wasn’t a dream.” 

He cocked his head to the side, studying her and she continued, “All those years ago.  I thought it might have been a dream, but everything looks just the same.” 

He smiled warmly.  He had not brought her in here last time and wondered how she could say that.  She must have seen is expression, because she spoke again, “I… Always imagined that I would come back here, to this magical blue box.  And even the rooms I hadn’t seen before are really close to how I imagined them.”

The Doctor then understood, “Well, that’s an impressive imagination you have, if it can envision all of this.” 

Brielle shrugged off the compliment and spoke reflectively as she ran her fingers over the spines of several books, “Well I’ve had a lot of time to think… especially recently.” 

Her fingers stopped as they came to rest on the spine of a book.  The color and texture of the book was different from the rest.  She used her fingers to slide it out and chuckled wetly when she read the cover: _The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes_.  The Doctor grew concerned over her reaction and stepped closer, “Are you all right?” 

She shrugged, “It’s a book that I loved when I was a child.  This is the last place I expected to find it.” 

He smiled, “Oh, that’s the TARDIS.  Sometimes she can shift whole rooms about to make them easier – or harder – to find.  She can do the same with books in here.” 

She giggled a bit more strongly, “That’s not what I meant.  I mean, you’re an alien, why would you have it?” 

He smiled easily, “Well DuBose wrote it and Gershwin wrote _Porgy and Bess_ based on one of his novels.  This story, was the only children’s story he ever got published, so that makes it unique.”

The Doctor shrugged and it was Brielle’s turn to smile, “So are all these books so _unique_?” 

He nodded, “Well,” elongating the word longer than necessary, “I like to think so.  A lot of them are either first or last editions, some of them original or only copies.” 

She nodded, “Time travel, right?  What about this one?  I mean the fact that it’s the only children’s story he ever got published can’t be the only reason why you have it.” 

He reached out his hand to her, he was going to guide her to one of the couches, but she flinched.  He realized what he had done and retracted his hand, “Sorry, I was just going to say, I can tell you the story, but maybe we could sit on the couch?” 

She held the book to her chest and nodded as she followed him.  He did not sit down, but went over to an enclave, prepared two cups of tea and then brought them with him as he sat down next to her.  He offered her one and took a sip of his own.  The Doctor began, “This book is loosely based on a true story and published the year before he died.  I had always wanted to meet DuBose Heyward.  He just seemed fascinating to me.” 

Brielle smiled, “A white man, presenting blacks in a positive light while he was living in the South?” 

He flashed her a smile, “Exactly!” 

She nodded, “Seems a bit like you.” 

His smile fell slightly at that, “What do you mean?” 

She shrugged and stared into her mug, “Well, for a while after we met, I got into aliens and space travel and all.  I did some research on you.  Seems that every time the Earth is in danger, you’re there to save it.  Which is hard for me to imagine, since we must mean so little in the grand scheme of things.” 

The Doctor frowned at that, “Oh, Brielle, if you’ve done that much study of me, you must know how important humans are to me.” 

She deflected in reply, “Sorry, didn’t mean to interrupt.  Go on.” 

He watched her for a minute in silence.  Now was not the time to press her.  He took a sip of his tea.  The Doctor then continued, “So in my travels, I’ve seen all kinds of things.  But one of the most amazing was when I visited the planet Espene, residence to the Flux Tritons, who look surprisingly like human-rabbits.  I was there to see the Festival of the Temporal Star.  But, things never seem to work quite right for me.  You see there was a tradition in that town that everyone gathers as part of this festival.  While everyone is gathered, three individuals are selected to go to all the homes and leave gifts for the children of the village.  There was one woman, Luella.  Oh, she had a heart of gold, that one.  She was a singleton and took in all the unwanted children of the town.  But for some reason, the village never included those children in the gift distribution.  Luella did all she could every year to include them, including… auditioning to be one of the ‘Temporal Visitors.’  Every year she was rejected, because she had so many children to look after they didn’t think she could do anything additional.” 

He paused as he heard Brielle gasp and allowed her to speak, “So they wouldn’t include the kids, but then wouldn’t let her be involved either?  That’s just not right!”

The Doctor nodded, “No, I didn’t think so either.  Well, as it happened, at this particular festival, she told me her story.  Like you, I was quite upset, so when it happened that one of the three ‘Temporal Visitors’ became wounded; I brought Luella with me and petitioned that she be allowed to serve.  They didn’t want to so I said to them, ‘What if I could make her the fastest of all of them?’  That intrigued them and they agreed that if she made all the deliveries the fastest, they would allow for gifts for the children from that year on.” 

A wry grin appeared on Brielle’s features, “You Sonic-ed a pair of shoes for her… like when you cleaned my trumpet!” 

He offered a face-splitting grin, “You remember that all these years later?” 

Her grin fell slightly, “Hard to forget something like that.” 

He nodded, “Yeah, I did.  And she did finish first and the kids got gifts that year.” 

Brielle smiled at that and the Doctor continued, “Luella was so grateful that she invited me back to watch the kids open their gifts.  And I asked her what she was going to do next.  She replied that she was going to hang the shoes in a prominent spot as a reminder to all who came into her house not to judge anyone there. And she hoped she would never again have to use them.”

Brielle’s face was slightly shocked, “So, she just did it once?” 

The Doctor replied, “Well, I don’t actually know, but that was her plan.  She got gifts for the kids which was the only reason why she did it.” 

She asked, “Okay, so that’s the back-story… how does Heyward fit in?” 

He nodded in approval of her question, “Would you believe I met him, got drunk one night and told him the whole tale?” 

She shook her head, “No.” 

He smirked, “Didn’t think so,” he sighed, “I met him, brilliant man!  And we were talking about various stories of his but one night, as we tucked the kids into bed, I told the story to them.  Apparently, they remembered it and told it to him and he spun it into the story as you read it now.” 

She nodded in reply, “I don’t know which story I like better.” 

He smiled, gently took her hand and gave it a small squeeze, “That’s the beauty of fiction and reality:  You can choose to like both.” 

She sniffled at that and nodded her head, “Thank you for sharing the story,” and then she yawned hugely, “Sorry.”

The Doctor smiled, “It’s all right it's been a long day for you.” 

Brielle nodded, “Yeah I guess.”  She paused, “Don’t think I can sleep, though.” 

He nodded in understanding, “Well, how ‘bout if I read this story to you and even if you don’t sleep, you can still rest a bit.” 

She got herself comfortable in the corner of the couch and nodded, “Okay, that sounds good.” 

He began to weave the story.  After a few pages, he noticed she was nodding off, so he gently helped her to lie down and use his lap for a pillow.  She seemed to startle a bit, but he soothingly ran his fingers through her hair, like he used to do with Susan and continued with a few more pages of the story.  Once he was certain she was asleep, he grabbed the blanket off the back of the couch and covered her with it.  She groaned softly in her sleep and he returned to stroking her hair again until she quieted.  He was quite amazed that she seemed to feel safe near him so quickly.  He sighed at himself; he was not going to take on another companion.  He was really in no condition – the sight of Ood Sigma told him that much.

Brielle slept calmly for twenty-three minutes, before the throws of her nightmares overtook her.  The Doctor realized what was happening and stopped touching her immediately.  His hearts broke a little as he watched her.  He wished there was something he could do, even though he knew from his own experiences there was not much he could do.  At that point, all he could do was wait.  Still wrapped up in her nightmare, Brielle rolled herself off the couch and away from him.  Her speed startled him, but he was more concerned that she not fall and hurt herself.  She landed in the space between the couch and the coffee table.  The Doctor froze and just observed her.  Her eyes remained closed, but she was pale and a sheen of sweat had broken across her face.  When she finally spoke, her voice was just a whisper, “Y-you don’t have to hurt me!  I’ll do whatever you want, just don’t hurt me!” 

The Doctor could only imagine the specific details of her dream.  She jerked suddenly as if being hit or kicked from behind, but she barely released a grunt of pain.  She jerked again and this time moved in such away that she would not hurt herself on any furniture.

The Doctor sighed with relief, but allowed Brielle’s dream to continue.  She went ridged again and then whimpered.  Her body jerked several more times before she went very still.  The only sign of life was her nearly imperceptible breaths.  After a few moments, she began to cry. 

The Doctor slid off the couch and sat next to her.  He cooed softly, “Oh, Brielle, what did they do to you?  Come here.” 

He lifted her up, leaned her head against his shoulder and gently wrapped his arms around her.  She cried, but never quite woke up.  Finally, she went quiet again and he just held her as she slept.  After he was certain she was sleeping somewhat peacefully, he laid her down again and covered her with the throw.  He was afraid to move her more and wake her up.  But, he knew from experience that the carpet was plush enough for sleeping.  He then went to the kitchen to get tea started. 

Brielle woke herself with a start.  It took a few minutes to realize where she was.  She was in the Library and in the TARDIS.  She did not see the Doctor anywhere, but she knew she was safe.  She did not remember falling asleep on the ground, but she had been covered over, so maybe she had.  She got up, folded the blanket and draped it over the back of the couch.  Then she figured she should find the Doctor.  She started walking in the direction she thought she had come from the night before.  She continued down the hall and came upon the Medical Bay.  She looked up and down the hall, making sure the Doctor did not see her.  This was something she decided she needed to do on her own, especially since she was not sure if he would accept her if he knew the truth.  She entered the room and quietly closed the door behind her.  Then, she slowly approached the screen that she knew would display the results from the tests that had been run.  A part of her hoped they would be displayed in English or at least in pictures.

Brielle pressed a button on the monitor that she thought would show the results.  She took a deep breath and waited for the information to be displayed.  The screen flickered to life and the information she sought was revealed to her.  It was so much worse then she had imagined, but she forced herself to read all the information, even through the haze of tears that were diminishing her view.  She had spent so much time in the medical wing that she had studied and worked her way to being a Physician’s Assistant.  She understood all the information that was displayed there, even though it was only displayed in medical terms.  As the screen again faded to black, she started to hyperventilate.  She tried to make it to the bed, but missed and ended up in a heap on the floor.  Her head had made contact with the floor, not that she noticed.  She simply started to wail, mourning the greater losses that she was just now finding out about.  The doctors at the penitentiary had made sure she never saw her medical records, so this shock was much greater than she had expected.

After a few minutes, Brielle decided to take control of the situation.  She approached one of the cupboards and looked at all the supplies that were available to her.  She noticed the hyposprays, but decided that would be ‘too quick.’  She continued her search and finally came across a scalpel.  The TARDIS was greatly concerned by the reaction the human had and tried to call to her as she reached for the blade.  Brielle did not hear anything she only had one wish: for all of this to end.  She had no past, no future and nothing for which to live.  She had longed for death for so long, but until she was here, she always thought she only longed for freedom.  Now, she knew the truth, she wanted death, everlasting sleep.  Peaceful or not, it had to be better than this life.  She slowly raised the blade to her neck.  The TARDIS panicked and she used their telepathic link and called to her pilot, “ _Doctor, Brielle, is going to permanently harm herself.  She is in the Medical Bay_.” 

The terror he sensed in her tone was enough to have him move quickly, he abandoned the cooking Tea and rushed to the Medical Bay, which the TARDIS had thankfully moved next door to the kitchen. 

At first, the Doctor did not see Brielle anywhere and the room was quiet… too quiet.  He started searching throughout the room and then spotted her on the ground.  He slowly came to her side and spoke just loud enough to let her know he was there, “Brielle? Brielle, what’s happened?” 

He rested a hand on her shoulder and that is when he saw the blood on her neck from where she had tried to slice to the artery.  Her hands covered her head, her entire body shook and her voice was just a whisper as she repeated, “Failed!” over and over again. 

He sighed, feeling completely out of his element.  He needed to stop the bleeding and because of her position, he could not be sure that she had not caught the artery.  He reached into a drawer and grabbed a large flannel.  He pressed it to her neck and she tried to squirm out of his grip.  He was having none of that, “Brielle, let me help you.” 

Reminiscent of the time he found her in the icy creek, she let out one word, “Please.” 

But, he knew that if she could finish her thought it would be: “Please let me die,” or something similar.  He choked back the tears that were invading his eyes and throat.

The Doctor knew he could not move Brielle without releasing the pressure and he did not want to chance that, in case she had nicked the artery.  It was at that point that he heard a terrifying gurgle.  He knew that sound meant that she would soon die if he did not do something.  He gently lifted her into his arms and rushed her over to the exam-table.  He spoke quietly, “Brielle, I know you want to go, but just hold on, okay?” 

For as much as he would always argue that he was not ‘that kind of doctor,’ he did have the necessary knowledge and equipment to save her life.  The TARDIS was good, but most of the supplies were out of his reach.  He had no choice but to leave her.  Knowing that she had a death wish, he raised the guardrails on each side of the bed and then rushed about getting all the supplies he would need.  He returned quickly when he had everything.  He spoke tenderly, “I can’t give you anything for the pain.  I’m sorry.  As much as you want death, I’m the Doctor and I save those I can!”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter, until Doctor Who inspires me again (Which Series 7b is starting to.)

Three hours, twenty-two minutes and fifty-six seconds later (approximately), Brielle slowly regained consciousness.  She groaned softly.  The Doctor got up and came to sit near her on the bed.  He tenderly brushed some loose strands of hair away from her face.  At first, she did not seem to mind, but then her eyes grew large with awareness and she tried to scoot away from him.  He spoke gently, “No, no, no, no, no. You’ll fall.  It’s all right, I’ll move if you’re uncomfortable.” 

When that did not seem to calm her, he frowned.  He took a deep breath, “I’m not leaving you and I won’t let you go through this alone.” 

Her eyes were still wide with fear, “B-but what I did…” 

Her hand found its way to her neck.  Her fear shifted to shock, she did not find gauze or anything to protect the wound.  In fact, there did not seem to _be_ a wound.  At that thought, her shock shifted to confusion.  The Doctor remained quiet, simply observing her, as the emotions and thoughts played across her features.  When she said nothing, he finally spoke again, “You didn’t imagine it.” 

He swallowed at the lump in his throat.  He could not tell her how much it hurt him that she tried to kill herself.  Brielle’s eyes filled with tears, but the Doctor could tell that it was only because she thought she had failed.  Still, she did not let them fall.  There was still terror behind her sadness.  She could not look at him anymore.  He had taken such good care of her and shown such concern, and then she repaid him by trying to kill herself here on his ship.  On top of all that, she had failed.  She very obviously was not dead yet.  She could not face him, but she knew he would not leave her alone, so she rolled onto her side and faced away from him.  It was as she turned that she noticed the tube running into her arm.  It was an odd color and she followed the tubing with her eyes to where two bags hung above her head.  One looked like blood, but she could not identify the other.  There was a tube out of each that then merged into the one stuck in her arm.  He watched her and explained, “It’s part blood and part nutrients.  You lost a bit of blood and you haven’t eaten in so long…” his voice tapered off as he watched her.

The Doctor had taped the tube to Brielle’s arm and she started to pick at the tape.  He rested his hand on top of hers.  A shiver went up her spine.  She had never before noticed how cold his hands were, but now she did.  She stared at him for a few moments and he gave his head a slight shake ‘no’. 

When he did not release her, she quipped, “Bit primitive, isn’t it?” 

When she noticed his confused expression, she jiggled the tube.  The Doctor shrugged, “You’re human, the human body can only take in blood at a certain rate.  It’s the only thing I had that could control the rate of intake.” 

She would tell him to go away, but there was something calming about his presence, so she did not ask that of him.  She rolled back away from him, though.  She tried not to pick at the tape holding the tube in her arm, but she could not help herself.  The Doctor noticed and again rested his hand on hers.  She was still a danger to herself, so he could not leave her like this, but he needed more time to think.  He reached over to a table and grabbed a syringe that he used to inject medicine into the tube.  She slowly fell back asleep under the effects of the medicine.

Once the Doctor was certain Brielle was asleep, he went to a drawer and pulled out some soft medical restraints.  He hated himself for doing this to her, but he had to make sure she gave herself a chance to fully heal.  He shook his head in an attempt to hold the tears at bay.  He did her ankles first, then her wrists.  She was never going to forgive him for this.  He gently stroked her hair, as he reminded himself that he was not going to get attached.  He shrugged gave her another gentle stroke with his thumb anyway.  Even if he was not going to get attached, she deserved some kindness after all she had gone through… after all he was putting her through, “I’m sorry.  I’m so sorry.” 

He then went towards the exit, but he turned to take one last look at her before he left.  He sighed and started his way to the Console Room.  He was starting to wonder if being in the Vortex so long was having some effect on Brielle and so he decided to take her somewhere magnificent.  Maybe she might forgive and forget what he had just done to her if she saw the view.

The Doctor slowly made his way to the Console Room.  Brielle would sleep for about an hour, so he had plenty of time.  He first chose a place to take her.   He decided middle of summer and Glacier National Park in the USA would suffice.  He did not want anything that would be too out of the ordinary for her and he did not want her to feel overwhelmed by people.  Besides, it had been a long time since he had been there.  And he could even take her back in time a bit; allow her to be the first modern human to see the location!  Oh, that would be brilliant!  He set the coordinates, landed and then went down to check on her.  He sighed with relief when he realized that she was still asleep.  He removed the restraints and felt horrible for using them at all.  Obviously, he had not needed them. Now, all he could do was wait.  As he sat down beside her, he heard Donna’s voice echo in his mind, “Sometimes, I think you need someone to stop you.”

* * *

The Doctor sighed a bit louder than he had intended to and Brielle stirred slightly in her sleep.  He noted that the blood and fluid infusion was complete, so he took the bags down and got ready to remove the needle from her arm.  Even though he was gentle, she still flinched.  He got a pressure plaster and put it over the wound.  It would allow it to heal faster and stop the bleeding quicker.  Then he sat on the bed.  He hated his hands being idle, so he started gently running his fingers through her hair.  There was just something about her; he could not place it.  Perhaps it was that she had obviously suffered a great deal. Perhaps, it was because she seemed to have lost nearly everything that he had.  This time, he did not have the urge to rush her out of the TARDIS as soon as she was better.  He wondered if maybe she could help him.  It was obvious by the fact that she had vanished, either she was given a new identity, or taken from Earth.  Who was to say that he had not provided that opportunity for her? 

Brielle stirred as she started to return to consciousness.  The Doctor moved onto the nearby chair, he did not want to scare her, remembering what happened last time.  He watched her intently.  She sighed and stretched as she gained more awareness of her surroundings.  Then she slowly opened her eyes.  She looked around for a minute then her eyes rested on the Doctor.  The intensity and sadness in his eyes reached to her very soul.  Her eyes welled with tears, “I’m sorry.  You must thing me so ungrateful.” 

At that, he got up and moved over to the bed.  He rested his hand over one of hers, “No, I think you’ve been through a lot and you don’t know how to handle it.  Let me help you.” 

Her eyes still filled with unshed tears, she shook her head and replied, “I don’t deserve it.” 

He sighed and sat down next to her, “Oh, Brielle, I think what you just did shows how much help you need.” 

She swiped at the tears and noticed that the tubes were gone; she looked at him with the question upon her features.  He replied, “The infusion was complete.  Why don’t you go take a shower and I’ll get something for you to eat, then I’ve landed somewhere, so we can go outside for a bit of fresh air.”

Brielle nodded and started to sit up.  She went slow, but was pleased that she did not seem to have any vertigo.  She made her way into the bathroom.  Once the Doctor was certain she was going to be okay, he went to get some food together for her.   He gathered some fruit and a high nutrient drink for her since he was still worried about her stomach sensitivities.  He turned around to set the table and he saw her standing in the door.  The TARDIS had provided a pullover, jeans, shoes and socks.  She looked almost like a woman on holiday.  He smiled and gestured to the table.  She sat down and then rested her bag on the table, “Thank you.” 

He nodded and took his own seat.  His eyes drifted to her bag and then back to his plate.  It suddenly dawned on him that her bag was a great deal like his TARDIS:  it contained all that she had left in the universe.  He worked up the courage to mention it, “I see that you carry that bag everywhere you go.  It must be very important to you.” 

At the mention of it, her hand found the bag and covered it protectively.  She mumbled, “It’s all I have left.” 

He nodded then gestured around them, “I understand.  The TARDIS is all I have left.” 

She met his eyes and her hand slowly moved away from the bag.  The Doctor smiled at Brielle, this was the first hint of trust she had expressed since he had picked her up from the prison.  He took a few more bites before speaking, “I’ve decided we needed a bit of fresh air.  But, I would hate for you to loose your bag, so I think it’d be best if you left it on board in your room.” 

Her hand slowly crept back towards the bag and then she nodded her head, letting her hand again slide away from the bag.  His smile broadened, glad that she seemed to trust him, “When you’re done, why don’t you put your bag away and I’ll clean up?” 

She nodded again and since her plate was empty, she finished off her tea, “Thanks again.”

He nodded in reply and she left the room.  She had not spoken that much, but he did not know if that was because of all that had happened or if it was because she had reverted back to her prisoner mentality.  He hoped the change in scenery would help.  Once he had everything cleaned up, he made his way to the control room to wait for her.


	5. Chapter 5

I've decided to completely rework this story so Brielle meets the 12th Doctor instead. So look for that one in the future.


End file.
